It had already been a week since the orcs arrived in the desert and the representatives had come and gone.
During that time, the representatives who had visited the orcs’ temporary camp returned to their respective tribes and recounted what they had experienced.
Then, rumors began to spread faster than the wind and what made the beastkin prick up their ears was none other than the presence of an uncountable number of Water Source Stones.
“They’re offering to trade Water Source Stones for just leather and iron ore?”
“That’s correct.”
“Hmmm…”
Unexpected fortune can sometimes lead to suspicion.
And this was exactly one of those moments.
To any tribe, Water Source Stones were untouchable treasures.
That was because the amount of water they could supply directly determined how many troops the tribe could maintain.
In other words, in this desert, water was essentially a strategic resource.
It’s commonly estimated that a single Water Source Stone can sustain around 5,000 troops.
And now, they were hearing that countless such stones were embedded in the ceiling.
It was impossible not to lose their minds over it.
“However, it didn’t seem to be the kind of Water Source Stone we’re familiar with. They say it requires a constant supply of mana. And the ones they had weren’t particularly large, either.”
“Hmmm… is that so?”
At that, the tribal chiefs fell into contemplation.
For now, due to the orcs’ conduct, the tribal chiefs had erased the word war from their minds.
If the orcs were offering to trade Water Source Stones for mere monster materials or iron ore, there was no need to bring war into the picture. Not to mention, the orcs’ numbers were not exactly negligible.
Having already confirmed the orcs’ state of armament, they had no desire to increase the number of evil spirits in this desert.
If that was the case, then all that remained was trade, but since the item in question was Water Source Stones, the problem was that it was hard to predict how the other tribes would respond.
On top of that, there were concerns about whether it was really okay to hand over resources like iron ore, which were materials that could be used to make weapons, to such a large number of orcs.
According to the representatives, from the perspective of the orc chieftains, their stated goal was simply to cross the desert. Maybe it was overly suspicious to doubt them, but some tribes didn’t believe that claim.
“What if this is a trap set by those Nameless bastards?”
In a situation where their people were being slowly chipped away by the Saintess, there weren’t many tribes willing to trust the orcs who had suddenly appeared.
Even so, the reason they were hesitating like this was because… what if they were wrong? What if the orcs’ goal really was to cross the desert?
If that were true—
The balance between the tribes will collapse!
The tribe that obtained such a massive number of Water Source Stones would expand its influence dramatically within just a few years, while those that didn’t would be left behind and eventually fall into decline.
That was why the tribal chiefs’ deliberations continued all through the night.
And this was exactly the result Shane had hoped for.
“No tribe is going to back out in the end.”
“Indeed. In a situation like this, falling behind would be a nightmare for any tribal chief.”
At Shane’s murmur, Parimash nodded in agreement.
“Once the first trade begins, the rest will fall in line anyway.”
“That’s true. Right now, no tribe wants to be the one that gets left behind. But still… I didn’t expect them to be the first ones to move.”
The ones Parimash referred to as “them” were none other than the Toh Tribe.
They were the first tribe to submit to the Saintess when she initially appeared.
Yet now, the moment word of the Water Source Stones spread, they were the first to propose a trade.
Even Shane and Parimash found this decision far from normal.
For one, Nameless would certainly not believe that the appearance of a new Saintess and the emergence of the orcs were unrelated coincidences.
On top of that, Lucid Rem of Lust, one of the Legion commanders, already knew that the man in the mask was here.
Naturally, she would be convinced that the emergence of this new Saintess was Shane’s doing.
Even so, if the Toh Tribe, the one most loyal to her, had been moved to purchase the Water Source Stones, what could she be aiming for?
Parimash quietly sank into thought for a moment before offering his opinion.
“With the support of an organization like Nameless, the Toh Tribe shouldn’t be lacking in resources. And yet, the fact that they’ve stepped forward themselves must mean they have some way to handle the current situation.”
“That’s likely the case.”
“A trade that should have been stopped was the first one they proposed… Could it be that they plan to buy the Water Source Stones first and then spread false rumors? For example, that the stones sold by the orcs are cursed or something like that…”
“That’s not entirely out of the question. But don’t we have a way to defend against that?”
“Yes. If we set a fixed trade date and carry out the sale together with the other tribes, that should be enough.”
After all, it was the tribes who were desperate. Even with such restrictions, they wouldn’t withdraw their intent to buy.
“Hmm. If that’s the case, perhaps what they really want is for us to involve as many tribes as possible. Maybe they’re trying to ruin the trade entirely by some means and completely destroy the orcs’ credibility?”
Indeed, Parimash’s role as a neutral figure in the Nakar Desert had likely sharpened his insight.
“A reasonable suspicion.”
“I’m glad you think so. Still, the question is, how do we stop our enemies?”
“Uncovering their methods is important, but more than that, the priority is to understand their true objective in finer detail.”
“In finer detail…?”
Ultimately, what Nameless wanted was to sabotage the trade and block the orcs from expanding their influence.
But was there really more to learn beyond that?
“We need to think about the scope of their objective, don’t you agree?”
“Ah…! Of course. I was thinking too narrowly. Suppressing the orcs’ influence is important, yes, but for the other tribes, the Water Source Stones are what matter most.”
“Exactly. No matter what tricks the Saintess tries to pull, the other tribes will still covet the Water Source Stones. And from Nameless’s perspective, a stockpile of stones that large would have countless potential uses…so they’d find it plenty tempting as well.”
“So, in the end, there’s no way to stop the spread of the Water Source Stones, is there? Hah… if that’s the case…”
If things played out according to that scenario—
“Then we might not need to do anything at all for this to resolve itself.”
“…You’re right. Come to think of it, from the very moment the delegates made contact with the orcs—”
“The Saintess was already cornered.”
At that, Parimash looked at Shane with an expression of admiration.
Shane’s thorough planning and actions, having calculated everything in advance, stirred a strange sense of awe in him.
As expected… he’s truly worthy of being the man the Saintess brought with her!
And so, time gradually began to pass.
***
Given the immense value of the Water Source Stones, the trade was conducted with great caution.
As before, Parimash relayed the message to each tribe, and the same representatives who had previously visited the orc stronghold gathered once again.
However, the location had changed. Since there was no longer any need to conduct the trade at the orcs’ base, it was now held in Parimash’s city.
“Now then, would each tribe’s representative present the goods they wish to offer for trade?”
“Our Toh Tribe will offer desert goat fur, refined secretions, and sand widow spider silk.”
The first to step forward was the Toh Tribe, known among the tribes to be the weakest in terms of military strength.
However, they excelled in empathy, allowing them to domesticate a wide variety of animals and monsters.
Despite its name, the desert goat was a monster that fed on cactus and fine sand. The fur and secretions from desert goats specially raised by the Toh Tribe were famously tougher than steel.
In addition, the silk of the sand widow spider was so thin it was nearly invisible to the naked eye, yet extremely durable. This made it an ideal material for constructing traps.
“Ho…”
Next, the Dog Tribe presented their trade goods.
Strong in combat, they had brought materials obtained from subjugating monsters.
In fact, about half of the tribes gathered here had brought monster materials, but the Dog Tribe stood out with the sheer quantity they had prepared.
A parchment listing their goods was unrolled across the table, stretching from one end of the meeting table to the other.
“These are the goods our Dog Tribe has prepared.”
“…That’s a lot.”
A long list of monster materials.
If all the items listed here were laid out in front of them, they could easily form a small hill.
The representative of the Toh Tribe, whose offerings were relatively modest in quantity, let out a faint sigh before shaking their head.
Our quality is overwhelmingly superior. We’re not falling behind in value.
Yet, the Dog Tribe, watching this scene, remained equally composed.
In warfare, quality matters more than quantity.
Of course, quality was important. However, the orcs already seemed more than capable of crafting their own equipment.
On top of that, didn’t they have the numbers?
Some tribes that had once observed the orcs hunting from a distance had witnessed firsthand what true wave tactics looked like. So much so that the very word “war” had vanished from their minds afterward.
With so many orcs to equip, it was only natural that they would need a massive supply of materials.
In that sense, the goods brought by the Toh Tribe were severely insufficient in quantity.
As the silent standoff between the two tribes continued, the next to step forward was the Cow Tribe.
As a tribe specializing in weaponry, they had brought high-quality iron ore.
What’s more, the amount they offered was far from small. It was enough to make even the Dog Tribe’s representative nod in acknowledgment.
“This is the iron ore handled by our Cow Tribe. Mooo. And in addition, we’ve brought magic stones as well.”
After that, most of the offerings followed a similar pattern.
The Demon Tribe and the Serpent Tribe brought monster material, leather, and low-purity iron ore. They were relying on quantity like the Dog Tribe.
The Bird Tribe stood out by offering gemstones imbued with elemental properties.
Once all the trade goods had been presented, Parimash brought in Batukan who was the current commander of the orcs.
“Hooh…”
Even Batukan, who had lived a long life, spotted items he had never seen before and began calculating the distribution of the water source stones with caution.
Among all the goods, what drew Batukan’s greatest interest were the elemental gemstones offered by the Bird Tribe.
As a temple guardian with knowledge in shamanism, they were more than enough to pique his curiosity.
“What do you think?”
“This looks to be quite a fruitful trade. Overall, I’m satisfied. Then shall we determine the distribution of the water source stones?”
At Batukan’s words, the rest of the tribes fell silent, waiting for him to speak.
“First priority goes to…”
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